Prayer to God VS Prayer to Saints

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FuzzyBunny116

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I know that saints are there to intercede for us, and pray for us, but then again we should also pray directly to God. So, when is it best to pray to God, and when to saints? Is there some sort of specific time? Would one pray to God and saints for the same thing, for the “prayer power.” And could someone explain to me the passages about not repeating prayers like the heathens or hypocrites or whatever H word he calls them, and talking about the “power of the perserverence of prayer” with the man trying to get food from his sleeping friend?
 
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FuzzyBunny116:
I know that saints are there to intercede for us, and pray for us, but then again we should also pray directly to God. So, when is it best to pray to God, and when to saints? Is there some sort of specific time? Would one pray to God and saints for the same thing, for the “prayer power.” And could someone explain to me the passages about not repeating prayers like the heathens or hypocrites or whatever H word he calls them, and talking about the “power of the perserverence of prayer” with the man trying to get food from his sleeping friend?
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Why is it either or? The prayers through saints go to God anyways, but the difference is, as scripture teaches, is that they are perfectly righteous. Scripture and the church has always taught that prayers from the righteous availeth much, and who more righteous than those already in heaven? You can certainly pray to God, and God will hear you’re prayer. Whatever works for you bud, just don’t let something like this be an obstacle like it is for most protestants.

About the repeating prayers thing…you are talking about vain repetition. There is a difference between saying a prayer over and over 10 times because you think that it will be 10 times more effective, and meditating the Rosary for example, saying the prayers but meditating on the Mysteries.
 
I don’t think there is any particular time when it is best to pray (though I find that praying just after 8 AM, you get fewer busy signals 😛 just kidding). When I wake up, I offer up three Hail Marys for purity, and then a handful of prayers throughout the day. I find that my favorite time to pray directly to God is when I go to Mass every day (well, 6 times a week). I just am in that mode when I go, more concentrated than the rest of my day. Then, after I pray the Rosary, just before I go to sleep, I make God the final thought of my: it really depends on my day, but I’ll thank Him for it, or offer up something that is bothering me, pray for various people that are important to me, or even vent to Him (He is one of the best listeners, and I always feel better the next day). I just think that when I end my day, it is best to say something, to let Him know I’m always thinking about Him, asking for His help.

That is just what works for me. I also find that during the times in my day that I’m feeling the strongest or the weakest, I throw up a quick pray that fits the situation.

As for the Bible passage, lemme read it and get back to you.

Eamon
 
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FuzzyBunny116:
I know that saints are there to intercede for us, and pray for us, but then again we should also pray directly to God. So, when is it best to pray to God, and when to saints? Is there some sort of specific time? Would one pray to God and saints for the same thing, for the “prayer power.” And could someone explain to me the passages about not repeating prayers like the heathens or hypocrites or whatever H word he calls them, and talking about the “power of the perserverence of prayer” with the man trying to get food from his sleeping friend?
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1. **All **prayer is prayer to God, through Christ, in the Spirit - that is the first thing we need to bear in mind.​

  1. The Saints, like all other Christians, are “in Christ”; He is the Source of all Life, Holiness, Truth, and every other gift: without him, no creature could even exist. This is true for all men, Christian or not.
  2. Therefore, to pray to the Saints is to turn towards Him; not away. It is means of coming closer to Him; not of escaping from Him (which is impossible in any case :)). Because the Saints, although not to be confused with Him - He is God, they are created beings - are in to way separated from Him; they are intimately united with Him.
Hope that helps.

About the last question: what is meant, is the empty piling up of words, empty babbling; for God looks on the heart of man; not, as we might, on externals such as length of prayer or well-turned phrases. Not that those things are bad - but they are no replacement for sincerity in God’s presence. We cannot deceive God: only others or ourselves.

The words of Jesus seem to refer to the habit - known among the Romans - of calling on every god there was, to make sure no one was left out; they tried to “cover all the bases”, as one might in a legal document. Jesus forbids this - His followers are to trust their Father in Heaven; not indulge in fussy long-windedness. Which is why the Our Father is a pattern for Christian prayer. ##
 
I understand your question, Fuzzy, because I’ve often wondered. Like, when I want something, should I pray to God before I pray to a saint? I sometimes feel guilty for not saying an Our Father before saying a Hail Mary or something… I don’t know if this would be okay (just directly to the Saints, w/o the Father specifically), but, it seems to me, from these posts, it is permissible because all valid prayer will get to God.
 
So would that mean praying for the same thing through saints and God at the same time is bad?
 
So would that mean praying for the same thing through saints and God at the same time is bad?
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Far from it. “The prayer of a righteous man availeth much”. . .“where two or three are gathered in My Name, there am I in the midst of them. . .”

No, praying for the same thing through God and the saints is just fine. After all, the saints pray to God FOR us, we’re just adding some more voices to our prayers, whether they are of petition or of praise!
 
my prayer time is right when i wake up. be it at 1am or 11am. my personal private time with God. my mind is clean and mostly empty, undisturbed by the cares of the world.
 
Tantum ergo:
Far from it. “The prayer of a righteous man availeth much”. . .“where two or three are gathered in My Name, there am I in the midst of them. . .”

No, praying for the same thing through God and the saints is just fine. After all, the saints pray to God FOR us, we’re just adding some more voices to our prayers, whether they are of petition or of praise!
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An acronym for types of prayer:​

Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication

http://bestsmileys.com/religous/1.gif 😃 ##
 
I have a quick side note about repetitious prayer. Being Catholic, I have noticed something quite similar to repetition in various Protestant services/concerts that I may have attended. During a song they will be singing, there is often one or two verses of the song that the congregation will sing over and over many times. How can Catholics be questioned about repetition when some of these non-Catholic churches seem to do the very same thing? I fail to see the difference between singing a meaningful verse repeatedly and saying a meaningful rosary. :confused: God Bless y’all.
 
Awesome reply Lissabears, ill have to remember that

one thing i heard from a preist is that we pray to saints to pray for us when we do not feel we are “good enough” to do it on our own. because saints are so much more righteous, they hold us up where we feel we have no footing. so all prayer should be directed straight at Jesus, and God, as protestants are so taught from their youth, but we can seek the aid of the siants in our prayers to Him
 
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lissabears:
I have a quick side note about repetitious prayer. Being Catholic, I have noticed something quite similar to repetition in various Protestant services/concerts that I may have attended. During a song they will be singing, there is often one or two verses of the song that the congregation will sing over and over many times. How can Catholics be questioned about repetition when some of these non-Catholic churches seem to do the very same thing? I fail to see the difference between singing a meaningful verse repeatedly and saying a meaningful rosary. :confused: God Bless y’all.
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Not only that, but when you think about it, how many times do you have to say a prayer for it to be vain repetition? Twice? Thrice? In the Garden of Gethsemane, it says Jesus prayed the same prayer three times (Matthew 26:44). Hmmm…

Also, look at Psalm 136, which is basically an inspired prayer. It doesn’t get any more repetitious than that, folks.
 
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